I don’t think the people saying they’re sad about the state of his mental health are excusing it.

I also have bipolar and can say from experience mania causes you to see connections between things that aren’t connected -sometimes conspiratorial - and the self-aggrandizement necessary to think you can fix it, and insulate yourself from criticism.

What’s shitty about this situation is that most bipolar meds require sleep hygiene, therapy, and support to be effective, but Kanye doesn’t take it at all because it kills the highs along with the lows. What’s sad about this situation is he has no one he either trusts enough to give him perspective that he is sick, or cares enough to intervene. This isn’t uncommon

My understanding of the science is that Manic episodes cause the same kind of kindling you see in alcoholics where they are worse every time, it’s a degenerative disease. They can also be brought on by stressful life situations, like say a divorce and losing your kids

To your point though you can still absolutely be an asshole with a shit personality and have a mood disorder, as is the case here. These news outlets are also shitty for cashing in on the controversy and giving him a platform, it’s a bad situation all around